Wanna Know How I Got These Scars?
by iLOVEFenrir
Summary: Violet usually keeps herself to herself but in the midst of a series of attacks, performed by the deranged Joker, she finds herself caught up in the mess. The Police ask her to tempt the Joker out of his hiding place but will the bait work? And more importantly will she be able to escape him if it does.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I know I keep starting new fics BAILEYS DON'T KILL ME I just got this idea whilst on holiday and HAD to write something down. Anyway, I hope you like and reviews would as always be the most welcome thing in my life. Enjoy. **

Violet Hartnett sighed into her palm as she tried to keep her eyelids from falling. Her head sunk further down until it was nearly on the counter.

"Maybe you should take some coffee for yourself, Vi." Donna muttered, handing a latte to a slim blonde woman in a knee length sand coloured coat which she had wrapped around herself tightly, finished off with a light pink scarf. It was the last customer of the night and as she exited the shop, Donna quickly unravelled her apron and tossed it behind the counter. Although it was only nine, Violet felt as if she had been up to the early hours of the morning.

The small worn television in the top right hand corner of the back room crackled quietly about weather reports. It was getting colder and colder each day so elderly people were advised to stay inside and keep the heating on at all times. Donna went over to pull the shutters down at the front of the shop before ambling back into the back room and collapsing on the kitchen surface, lighting a cigarette. Violet followed, taking the cash out of the register and putting it in the safe.

She joined Donna on the counter, pulling the sleeves of her black jumper over her hands and reaching for her Marlboros. They sat there for the best part of an hour, talking about the day and complaining about neighbours, rude customers - the norm. This was a routine they had gotten into which helped them relax after work. Sometimes one would bring a bottle of whiskey or a small clump of weed to help unwind.

"We interrupt this weather report to show a breaking news clip which may be unsettling for some viewers."

Donna and Violet's heads snapped up.

"Late this evening, the body of Andrea Parker was found in an alley off Grove Crescent. Authorities believe it to be the work of the Joker, as with many of his other victims, Ms Parker had been raped and facially mutilated." The screen then came up with a picture of the late Andrea Parker who was lying up against a brick wall, sand coloured coat ripped apart, face pale and eyes blackened with a deep gash running out from each side of the mouth, her blonde hair in disarray. It looked like he had covered her with war paint and used the blood from her mouth to draw on a gruesome smile.

Violet gasped, "Wasn't that our last customer?"

"Oh my god." Donna whispered, eyes wide as she stared at the screen. "Grove Crescent is like four blocks away!

The reporter continued, "Ms Parker was considered dead not long before being discovered by a horrified passerby who would like to remain anonymous."

"That means he could be close by." She whispered, slowly turning around to Violet who had gone a very unhealthy shade of white.

At the end of the report the woman reviewed the last seven victims of the Joker, who were all blonde women in their early to late twenties. They had all been sexually assaulted and mauled by a sharp knife, their faces twisted with a horrific smile. Violet remembered the second victim, having been so violently assaulted that her nipple had been bitten clean off. That case had stayed in her dreams for weeks.

Violet reached over for the remote and switched it off, her breathing hard and laboured. Her eyes flitted about without really seeing much. She realised that the Joker was moving across Gotham, slowly and seemingly randomly but getting slowly further west. As he had already struck tonight it would be unlikely he would do so again, as it was roughly two victims a month.

"I've gotta get home." Violet muttered, thinking about her unlocked doors and windows. The Joker didn't usually strike within people's homes, for fear of getting caught, she guessed.

"No, wait!" Donna hissed, "You can't go home alone!"

"My apartment is seven blocks from here, trust me I can cover it in ten minutes." She replied, gently removing Donna's hand from her arm and getting down from the counter.

"How about I walk you there?" Donna asked, her eyes hopeful. Five years older than Violet at 26, she was like her older sister and helped her out whenever possible. Although complete opposites in looks, Donna having red hair and a light dusting of freckles, a lean build and standing at 5'9, Violet pale with black hair, 5'6 and a slim, willowy frame, they enjoyed the same music and had a very similar humour which made it easy to work together.

"You live on the other side of Gotham." Violet protested, knowing Donna took the train to work every day.

"It's no problem, I wanna know you got home safe." She smiled.

Violet returned the smile, giving her Auburn hair a stroke before stepping back and going for the exit.

"See you tomorrow." She called over her shoulder, giving a little wave before disappearing into the night. Donna sighed, packing up her things and giving the counter a once over before turning out the lights and locking the back door. She replaced the keys in her pocket and made her way to the train station.

Violet was halfway home when she sensed she was not alone.

The feeling of being watched is like a prickling at the back of the neck. You can feel it in your stomach and the bottoms of your feet. Violet rubbed the back of her neck before turning around slowly. She was halfway along an alleyway which had dim orange lights every five metres. She glanced along and saw a figure disappear behind the wall.

As her heartbeat accelerated, she told herself that it was probably just some homeless person looking for a warmer place to stay.

Violet watched the end of the walkway for another minute but with the shadow not reappearing, she turned quickly and sped up her walking.

**A/N: If I do shorter chapters then they should be up quicker. Please review and thank you for reading! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Short chapter but please review!**

But when she heard a single footstep, she swung round so quickly she nearly toppled over. Violet reached out to touch the wall, steadying herself.

"Well hello, beautiful." He said lowly, in that gravelly voice that she had only ever heard on the television. On ransom videos and radio excerpts declaring the imminent death of hundreds.

Violet shrunk back and into the shadows, her legs stumbling back like they did when she was drunk.

"Where are you going, gorgeous?" He said, standing still. She hadn't seen his face but she would know that voice anywhere. Stepping back once more, she was able to catch a glimpse of a green shoe and purple trouser leg before turning and bolting off in the opposite direction.

_Holy fucking shit!_

Violet's shoulder bag bounced off her hip with every jolt. She ran the rest of the way home, not daring to slow to look back. She leaped up the stairs to her apartment and unlocked it in record speed. Inside, Cleopatra meowed nervously as she leant against the door, putting the dead bolt on.

She ran round her apartment, locking every window she could find and pulling all the blinds. Shakily she walked over to the worn sofa next to her kitchen counter and sat down, reaching for her phone and punching in Donna's number. The phone shook under her tense fingers as she waited for her to pick up.

"Donna." She said urgently as she heard the snap at the other end.

"Who is this?" The familiar voice asked.

"Violet-"

"Oh hey, hun, you never call me on my mobile - what's up?" She asked.

"I got followed, he was there, he followed me...h-he saw me, Donna...oh my god he saw me." She sputtered, holding the receiver tight against her cheek.

"Who, who saw y- oh no."

"Yeah." She said in a wavering tone.

"Where are you? Has he followed you here?" Donna replied, now sitting on the edge of her couch.

"I don't think so," She whispered back, "I ran the rest of the way to my apartment and all the doors and windows are locked."

"Good," Donna replied nearly as quietly, "Then get in your bed with Cleo and get some rest. There's nothing else you can do, anyway he goes after blondes remember. But tell the police in the morning, okay?"

Violet sighed, "Okay, thanks for listening, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Violet awoke in her bed the next morning, sweaty and confused. Cleopatra was curled up on top of her head which explained the dampness on her forehead. She sat up groggily and made for the shower. She then chucked on some warm clothes and went routing around for her taser which was hidden in the bottom of her closet.

She made her way to the police station, which mercifully wasn't far from her work, and walked straight up to the reception.

"Excuse me, I need to talk to someone in charge of the Joker case."

**A/N: Please review! It gets better in the next few chapters!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Longer chapter - enjoy! **

"Please follow me." The receptionist said, leading her through to a large office which had files and paper scattered in heaps everywhere.

"Gordon," She said, rapping on the door, "Got someone who wants to talk to you about the Joker case."

"Let him in." He said without looking up from a heavy file he looked deeply engrossed in.

"Hi." Violet said awkwardly as she edged forward.

"Oh," Gordon looked up upon hearing her voice, "Please, have a seat. I'm a little busy here, but I get the feeling what you have to tell me is important."

"It is, trust me." She sighed a smile.

"So, what do you want me to do for you?" He asked, leaning forward.

"I was just here to tell you that I saw him." Violet said, feeling a little stupid. But he reacted in an unexpected way.

"Really? We've been tracking him for months but we can't find him anywhere. When did you see him, where?"

"I was in the Old Shop Cafe, you know it?" When he nodded she continued, "Anyway, we served a customer and she was the victim that night. Andrea Parker, was it? We closed at around nine and hung out for an hour when we heard her death on the news. We went home just straight after. I thought someone was following me and I was right."

"Please continue." Gordon said, grabbing a notepad and a biro.

"I was walking along this alley and he was behind me. I couldn't see his face but he was wearing purple and green and I think those are his colours. He didn't attack me though, he just said, 'Hello, beautiful.' And I started to run and he called after me but thank god he didn't chase me."

"Wait, so you didn't see his face?"

"Erm, no..." Violet shifted uneasily. She hoped he thought she wasn't lying.

"I have a slight suspicion that this might not be the work of the real Joker."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he is going about and killing women and blaming the Joker so we go after a different guy. You said you didn't see his face?"

"Well no, but he spoke to me and I'd recognise that voice anywhere."

"Smoke a pack a day and enter some high pitch giggles and anyone can sound like the Joker. Trust me, when you hear his voice for real you'll know it's him." Gordon gave her a serious look.

"Where do we go from here then?" Violet asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"Okay," Gordon said, leaning forward again, "I have an idea which could help bring him to us, but I'm not sure you'd like it."

"What is it?" Violet asked, but the answer was already in the back of her mind.

"Would you consider being on the investigation team?"

Violet gave him a dubious look, "What would that include on my behalf?"

"Look," Gordon stood up and went to sit on the front of his desk, "If you help us then we'd pay you, and you could also bring this serial killer to justice. Doesn't that sounds appealing?"

"Okay, let's talk numbers." She replied, shifting in her seat.

"$500."

Violet's mind was reeling. She could pay the a whole month's rent for that, not to mention the fact that she was already slipping into debt.

"$600 and you have a deal." Violet held out her hand.

"Okay," Gordon relented, shaking it.

"What do you need me to do?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Violet muttered as a strand of long blonde hair blew in front of her face.

"Sorry, did you say something, honey?" A hairdresser with a large amount of pink bubblegum asked her.

"No." She replied, trying her best not to scowl at her.

"Right, we're all done." She said, turning Violet's chair around and showing her the back of her head. Violet gasped.

"Jesus, did you have to go that light?" She asked, feeling her soft, acid blonde hair.

"Gordon's orders." She said, letting him pay and walking them to the door.

"Hey, I like it." He commented on her once dark hair but now was bleached blonde.

"I hate it." She said mournfully, running her hands through it.

"Look," He said, grabbing her arms and holding her at a distance, "I'll call you tonight and we'll arrange a time, okay?"

"Okay." Violet sighed, smiling and walking back to her apartment.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Violet gargled a glass of cheap white wine as the phone started ringing. She gulped it down and headed for the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Gordon. Meet me outside and we'll go through the plan again."

"Okay, be there in a minute." Violet hung up before picking out some clothes. She opted for a large loose net black jumper with a vest underneath, some blue jeans and her leather boots. Slinging on a heavy denim jacket she kissed the top of Cleo's head and let her out before locking the door.

Gordon was smoking a cigarette as she walked towards him. He stubbed it out before looking up and ushering her closer.

"Okay, I want you to walk along these four alleyways," He told her, handing her a map covered in thick black marker, "And if he doesn't show up, go and meet me back here."

"Okay, and what if he does show up?"

"Here's a taser and a knife. I would have liked to have you armed but it was too risky in case you ended up shooting at another civilian or something. Now don't abuse you're power." He handed her the weapons.

Violet started to walk away but he tugged her jacket, "I almost forgot, put this into your ear and we'll be able to hear everything you do. Just shout out your location and we'll come running, okay?" He tucked a radio into her ear before pulling some hair over it and fixing the other end to the inside of her jacket.

"Good luck." He said and then he walked away, not turning back once.

Violet breathed heavily, her breath coming out in thick vapour trails.

**A/N: Next chapter will have the Joker in!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews is means a lot!**

Violet walked forward slowly as a breeze blew her jacket around. She gave a little shiver as she looked at the map she had. It indicated four alleyways which were scattered around the area, they were also brilliantly concealed and hadn't been Joker crime scenes as of late. Reaching the first one, Violet realised that she could very well be another one of his victims tonight, and the thought terrified her.

"Come on, you're getting paid - toughen up." She mumbled to herself.

Violet paced up and down each alleyway once, coming across no one unsurprisingly. She turned with a sigh and went to the fourth one but a strong gust of wind blew the map from her hands.

"Shit!" She cried, throwing her hands up in despair. As she watched the piece of paper sail along the ground, she failed to notice the blacked out van pull up behind her. Suddenly a pair of strong hands pulled her into the vehicle as it sped off down the street. Violet didn't even have time to scream as her head was slammed into the wall. A wave of darkness washed over her as she sunk to the ground.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Groggily, her eyes open and everything swam into focus.

"Wha- wha's going on?" She asked sleepily, trying to get up, but her hands were tied to the chair she was sitting on.

"What the hell-" Violet struggled violently against her bonds but all she got in response was some dark chuckles from four men clad in blue boiler suits and clown masks. Violet looked about in horror, wondering where on Earth she was. But before she could ask any questions a figure came into view.

"Sorry about tying you up but I wasn't sure if you'd try to escape." He said, standing in front of her. Now there was absolutely no doubt in her mind who this was. The Joker.

Two hazel eyes stared at her from circles of thick black paint. It was unnerving.

"What do you want?" She asked quietly, watching as he licked his lips over and over again.

"What I want? What do I want..." The Joker stood before walking around the huge empty space. For the first time since she had awoken, Violet took in her surroundings. They were in a huge warehouse with surprisingly brilliant lighting which threw everything into a rather harsh glare. Violet blinked away from the light, aware of the slow throbbing in her forehead.

"Well, since the batman is dead, I have no one to play with. So lately I've been getting kind of bored." He drew out the last word in that strangled tone. Violet shuddered.

"I don't worry," He suddenly came over to her and crouched over slightly, "I wasn't gonna play with _you_! Ooooh no, no, no. What I wanted to do was find out who the FUCK is impersonating me." He roared the last part and Violet leant back as far as the chair would allow.

"So, you didn't kill all those women?" Violet asked when she finally found her voice.

"Of course I didn't!" He yelled, but quieter, "You think I'd sink low enough to dirty my reputation by raping and murdering ordinary women? I want chaos! I want panic! I don't want to kill defenceless women, no, no, no, that's too easy. Much too easy." He walked back over to her and rested his arms on her chair.

"No, I like a challenge." He said softly, but it came out in a growl and a tear streaked down Violet's cheek as she sat frozen with fear.

The Joker gave a little manic giggle before straightening and stepping back, that grin never leaving his face.

"So why am I here?" She asked, uncertain of his mood swings.

The Joker stood quietly for a moment, and then ran his hands over his green hair, "I don't know."

"You don't have a plan then?" Violet asked, hope rising in her chest.

"Do I look like a man with a plan?" He asked, giving her that stare which made her unable to look at anything else.

"Kind of." She said, forcing herself to look down.

"Plans are good, but when it comes down to it, I always prefer to make things up on the spot - makes it much more interesting." The Joker mused, more to himself.

Another minute of silence passed before he spoke again, "Right, I've decided what we're going to do."

Violet looked up at him, dreading his answer.

"You're gonna be my little piece of bait."

**A/N: Looks like bait is the main theme of the chapter but oh well. Please review!**


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